ABOUT, AIMS & HOW TO JOIN

Our region and purpose

WineGB South East is one of seven regional associations which together form the national body, Wines of Great Britain Ltd (WineGB). 


WineGB South East’s main aim is to benefit its members; principally the wine producers in the counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London South.  The region’s warm, dry and sunny climate provides good conditions for high-quality cool-climate grape growing. Our area has the largest proportion of vineyards and wineries in the UK.

Our aims

  • Share local knowledge of viticulture, wine making and business information through forums and social events
  • Promote regional wines through wine tourism
  • Facilitate funding for development and marketing initiatives
Benefits of joining

Become a member of WineGB South East and WineGB and benefit from our huge network throughout the wine industry, regional forums for commercial managers, training and development programmes, WineGB’s voice in Government and much more.

Find out more about benefits here >>

Who can join?

Whilst the majority of our members are commercial vineyards and producers of English Wine, along with wineries and winemakers producing either their own label wines or wines for others under contract, membership of WineGB South East is open to anyone who has an interest in wine produced in the South East of England.  

Structure 

WineGB South East is managed by a committee of around 12 elected members, and employs a General Secretary who works on a part-time basis. A member of the committee is elected to the role of treasurer, and oversees the financial side of the organisation. Around four committee meetings are held each year, at which the committee discusses topical issues and organises the association’s activities. Their decisions are fed back to members, and, where appropriate, by the Chair, to WineGB.
 
Each year elections are held at our regional Annual General Meeting, and the longest serving 1/3 of the committee are asked to retire or to stand again for election. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please get in touch with us via email at southeast@winegb.co.uk.
 

How to join, relationship with WineGB and subscriptions

To join WineGB South East, you must join our parent organisation, WineGB, the national body for the UK wine industry. Membership subscriptions are handled by WineGB centrally for both organisations. Regional subscriptions are additional to those for WineGB (albeit much lower) and are decided by the Committee members of WineGB South East. 

Subscriptions are payable to WineGB on an annual basis with renewals starting on the 1st of January each year. For members who commence part way through the year, fees for WineGB South East and WineGB are calculated and paid on a pro-rata basis.  

To find out how to join WineGB (and WineGB South East) click here…

Plumpton College

We work in partnership with Plumpton College, which houses the UK’s wine education centre. With 10 hectares of vineyards producing 40,000 bottles of award-winning still and sparkling wines each year, Plumpton’s Wine Centre includes a commercial winery, research winery, laboratories and a sensory evaluation room for you to experience. With a team of international expert lecturers, you’ll gain an excellent all-round experience studying at Plumpton.
Find out more about studying wine at Plumpton here >>

Sustainable WineGB

We also work in partnership with Sustainable WineGB, offering members the chance to apply for certification and learn more about sustainable wine production. Find out more here >>

Meet the team

Meet the WineGB South East Chair, Secretary and Committee
Click here >>

Benefits

There are so many good reasons to join the South East wine community
Find out more >>

Events

Find out about our networking, social and learning opportunities
See events >>

WineGB

All our members join our national body, WineGB. Learn more here.
Find out more >>

Forums

Our knowledge sharing sessions for vineyards, winemakers & business.
Find out more >>

Wine Visitors Guide

Take a closer look at our regional wine tourist guide for the South East
Click here >>

“We have been a member of WineGB South East since we planted the vineyard in 2009. Being a member has been invaluable to us, giving us access to expert advice and information which was invaluable to us when we first planted. Being part of a the local wine community in the south east provides us with on-going source of information and a great social experience”

 Nick Wenman
Owner, Albury Organic Vineyard
Join now via WineGB >>

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